The Voice News: For the second consecutive day, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange. On Saturday (24 May), both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian Defense Ministry separately confirmed the release of 307 individuals from each side, according to British news agency Reuters.
Zelensky wrote on the social media platform Telegram that even more exchanges are expected tomorrow. “Our goal is to bring back every Ukrainian from Russian captivity,” he stated.
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the exchange as a potential starting point for peace talks. He noted that this could mark the beginning of a new chapter in Moscow-Kyiv relations after a long stalemate.
Following Trump’s call, delegations from Ukraine and Russia met in Istanbul on May 16. At that meeting, both parties agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each — a total of 2,000 individuals.
If completed, this would be the largest prisoner exchange in the three-year-long Russia-Ukraine war.
Following Saturday’s exchange, Zelensky’s office released footage showing freed Ukrainian soldiers returning home by bus, embracing each other, and wrapping themselves in the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag. One soldier was seen crying, comforted by a female soldier in military uniform.
Earlier on Friday, in the first phase, 270 military personnel and 120 civilians were released from both sides.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that if the prisoner exchange is successfully completed, Russia would be ready to present Ukraine with a draft peace agreement outlining terms for long-term peace.
Meanwhile, on the same Saturday when the prisoner exchange took place, overnight Russian attacks in Kyiv claimed at least 15 lives.
